


Birds Fly In Different Directions

by for_the_love_of_wolves



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Brain Damage, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Geminids Exchange, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Polyamory, Post Season 1, earth vs space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21793837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_the_love_of_wolves/pseuds/for_the_love_of_wolves
Summary: Everything is a mess. Skye wants her best friends back. But Fitz is changed and Simmons left. While Skye is helping Fitz something happens and it forces her to face what she's actually feeling for both her friends ... It's complicated.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	Birds Fly In Different Directions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everythinghappensforareason17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythinghappensforareason17/gifts).



> Title inspiration: [Imagine Dragons ft. Elisa - Birds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ-BPdkoSMw)
> 
> (This is the first time I write for this ship, I hope you like it a bit @everythinghappensforareason17! Thanks for the prompt :3)

_Seasons, they will change._

_Life will make you grow._

_Dreams will make you cry, cry, cry._

_Everything is temporary._

_Everything will slide._

_Love will never die, die, die._   
  


* * *

Simmons looks angry and scared at the same time. Her cheeks are blushed and her lips are pressed together tightly, forming a thin slightly trembling line.

“Care to explain this, Skye?” She asks, her voice unnaturally high. She’s crossing her arms. Tightly. It almost looks like she’s trying to hug herself. Skye feels the urge to hug her friend properly right now. Press her close and tell her how much she missed her. But she rather keeps her distance for now.

Because, this situation is … strange.

Simmons was gone for so long. Now she’s back. And the first thing she saw, was Skye kissing Fitz in his bed with her shirt off.

Skye still sees and hears the moment clear as day. The images and noises are burned into her mind.

The welcomed feeling of skin on skin, warm and comforting. Her kissing Fitz, things heating up between them. His hands on her back. Still hesitant but demanding at the same time. Fitz humming into her mouth in an urgent way. And then, the door opening abruptly, Simmons’ voice saying something lost in the haze of intimacy.

Time froze. Skye’s breath faltered and Fitz’s eyes widened. Silence. Only disturbed by the symphony of their combined elevated breaths.

The next moment Simmons made a choked noise and backed away, mumbling a few shaky sorrys and slamming the door shut.

“Fuck,” Skye murmured, and Fitz stared up at her, his eyes speaking for him.

Skye got up and ran after Simmons. Fitz couldn’t simply get out of bed and Skye didn’t think he would be able to talk to Simmons right now anyway.

Now here they are, facing each other,

Simmons looks different, Skye thinks. On more than one level. Her hair is shorter now. It makes her look younger. But it also gives her something fierce. Especially combined with the red lipstick she’s wearing. It looks good.

Skye realizes Simmons is still waiting for her to say something. But she’s too occupied with staring at Simmons and being angry but at the same time so unbelievable relived she’s back. Finally. They are back together again. There could be a chance for things to get back to … to some kind of _normal._ If only she could talk _._

Simmons eventually sighs, apparently getting tired with the awkward silence. “So … You and Fitz,” she says, in a horrible forced cheerful voice and shifts her weight.

Skye clears her throat. “Uh. No. Not …” What not? Not exactly? Fuck. This is horrible. What is she supposed to say? How is she supposed to _explain_?

“Well. I’m glad. I’m glad he has someone who … You know what I mean. Since he won’t talk to me.”

Skye feels a hint of irritated anger. “Well. What are you expecting? You left.”

Simmons gasps. Her eyes fill with pain and Skye already starts to feel bad. “I did it for him!” Simmons calls out. 

“For him,” Skye repeats sceptically.

“He wasn’t doing any better, Skye. And I … I think it was my fault. I couldn’t be what he needed. I talked to Coulson. And … He offered me a chance to get some time out. An undercover mission which I had to focus my whole concentration on. He told me everyone would be there for Fitz. That I didn’t have to do it all alone. So I took the opportunity. I hoped it would be the best. For both of us,” Simmons says, slightly out of breath, raising her chin.

“Okay. Okay, I get that you needed time for yourself after everything. And I agree that it shouldn’t be on your shoulders alone, but … I can’t get that you just left without telling him the truth! That’s terrible, Simmons. Friends don’t do that. They tell each other the truth.”

Simmons chews on her lip. “Maybe … Yes, maybe I shouldn’t have lied to him about what I had to do. I won’t say I never do mistakes. But you don’t understand. It was just … It was too much. What he told me down there … I …” Simmons’ voice fades away.

“He told you he loves you down there,” Skye finishes for her and Simmons nods curtly. “He did. And I didn’t know how to … I wanted … But well, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?!” She sounds both angry and accusing now.

Does she think, Skye took advantage?! Then it’s her who doesn’t understand … “Well, you left! I was here! I was there the whole damn time!” Skye tells Simmons, not able to take the anger out of her voice.

“The whole damn time,” Simmons murmurs. There are tears shining in her eyes. Skye hates them. She wishes, she could kiss them away. And gets even more angry about the livid pictures forming in the front of her eyes.

You left us both, she wants to add. But she can’t. Her throat is tight and dry. Feels like a ton of sand is burying every other word.

How did they get here again? Oh. Yes. Everything changed. Everything is a mess.

Everything.

Lately, Skye catches herself often thinking about the good old times. She once thought that was something people do when they are old and looking back at a whole life worth of memories. But now here she is, young and already drowning in enough bad memories, longing for a time everything was easier. A time that lies right behind her.

Skye considers herself not a lucky person. Her bad luck started early in her childhood and continued through the years. So many families adopted her but abandoned her again. That went on until she thought, she would never find a home. Eventually she isolated herself. She changed her name and tried to be on herself mostly, without forming too strong bonds that would be cut eventually anyway.

When something actually good happened to her, Skye was wary of course. 

What happened was this slightly messed up team of agents and “specialists” with no experience at all. They weren’t perfect and they knew it. But they let her in. She has never felt that way. So welcome. So warm. Appreciated. Not only for what she could do with computers, but for who she is.

And FitzSimmons … First, she thought they would reject her for the simple reason she wasn’t a genius like them. She was aware it was a bit rude to have such prejudices. But she couldn’t help it. She had been disappointed by life way too often to allow it to simply push her towards people.

So she recoiled at their smiles and compliments and careful asks at first. But after a while, she started to accept, that they were really just trying to be nice to her. They really wanted to spend time with her. To know her better.

And with the time, she learned more and more things about them while sharing more and more things with them. She learned that Simmons wanted to learn every language on the planet and really enjoyed dissecting things (ugh – but fascinating. A bit.). She learned that Fitz has the most terrible sweet tooth ever. She has no idea how his stomach deals with the amount of different candy he throws into it at the same time. Also he is really into horror movies for some reason. He made Skye watch Paranormal Activity and God; she still hates him for that. She still tells him so and it’s one of the rare things that still manage to make him chuckle these days.

Skye really misses all the evenings they spend together on the couch, laughing and talking until the late hours. She remembered them getting closer and closer with every day, legs or arms touching each other almost casually. She remembered it felt so natural she didn’t even think about it at first. But with the time, she realized she wanted more than movie marathons and truth or dare games. She wanted to know how Fitz’s lips felt under hers. She also wanted to know what Simmons’ lips tasted like. She wanted to know them.

But right when she started to think about these things more serious, it all went to hell.

Everything can fall apart in such little time. It only takes one spark to light up a firestorm. Ward was their firestorm. It still hurts so much, to only think of him. Ward. She shudders and her stomach drops whenever she can hear his words echoing in her head. I would never hurt you. Skye. Skye! Ward. He betrayed them. He killed Koenig. He … He hurt FitzSimmons. Made them face death on the bottom of the goddamn ocean. Skye still can’t believe Simmons managed to bring herself and Fitz to the surface. Simmons was different after that. Of course. No one would come out of this unchanged.

Simmons was different and when Skye told her everything would be alright, she just shook her head, her face remaining indifferent as she stared at Fitz’s still face, as she held his lifeless hand and the lights of the machines around his hospital bed lit up her skin in an unsettling shade of blue. She shook her head and said, “No.” Nothing more. And Skye felt helpless.

When Fitz woke up, Skye was happy. She was certain, everything could be alright again. But she was wrong. Fitz couldn’t talk. He opened his mouth and his eyes narrowed in confusion and fear, as nothing came out but broken choked noises. He couldn’t move either. His hands shook and he had seizures which left him convulsing on the bed helplessly for long minutes. The sight was unsettling. They soon realized it would take a long time for Fitz to recover – if he recovered at all.

Skye tried to stay positive, but it was hard to not break down, when she saw Simmons face at the doctor’s explanation. “What did they say?” Skye asked her. But Simmons just shook her head and walked away, her shoulders hanging low.

After a while, she left. 

Skye didn’t know how to feel at first. Numb. Empty. Really scared. Because … they were FitzSimmons. They were inseparable. They were … She thought they would marry each other one day.

It wasn’t until she saw Fitz’s face when they told him she wouldn’t return for a while, that she felt angry. Fuck. Fuck Ward for doing this. Fuck the fucking universe. Fuck … Yeah, Fuck Simmons for leaving.

“It’s unbelievable she left,” she said one day, while sitting at Fitz’s bed. “She should be here, helping you! Like a good friend would.” Like I do, she adds in silence, something almost forgotten inside her warming up carefully.

Fitz shook his head. “I … I … my fault,” he whispered.

Skye stared at him. “What?”

“I … I told her. Uh. Down. Told her … I … I … I …” He breathed out an angry huff and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, writing: _I told her I love her._

“Oh.” Skye didn’t know what to say. “Oh.”

Fitz nodded and looked down at his trembling fist. A tear slowly made its way over his face down his chin, dripping on the blanket.

Skye hugged him without thinking about it. It was just what she felt she should do.

For a moment, it felt like he would push her away, like he did a few times before. But then she felt him sagging against her, exhaling a sob.

Skye held him and said nothing.

Everything was a mess.

* * *

Time passed and Fitz got better. Only slowly, but steadily, his speech improved, and he was able to hold a cup of water or walk very slowly to he bathroom without crutches. His therapists told him he should be happy about these small things. But he still seemed frustrated and angry with himself most of the times. Skye couldn’t blame him for it.

One day she walked past Fitz’s bunk and heard stuttered cursing.

She stood and hesitated. He might need help with something. He needed a lot of support with everyday things and Skye tried to help a few times before already, but most times, it is May who helped him. He seemed to be alright with May. Skye thought she knew why. May was, well, May. She always stayed calm and firm, watching Fitz impassively while he struggled to get up on his feet, telling him “Come on. You can do it.” Just that. She never overdid it and she never tried to be too cheery with him. Skye thought that was exactly what Fitz needed.

She herself has never been good at this whole helping thing. Maybe, because no one ever told her how to look after someone. Hell. No one even told her how to look after herself. She figured it out. Learned it all by herself.

She watched Simmons comforting people in the past and was in awe. Simmons knew how this worked. She was good with people. Her voice clear and bright, her eyes open and warm. Every word and move so purposefully comforting.

But she couldn’t do it with Fitz and now was gone.

And May was on a mission.

When she heard another curse, Skye sighed and knocked at the door before opening it carefully, prepared to close it again just in case Fitz didn’t have all his clothes on. But he was sitting on the bed, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, flushed and sweating. 

“Are you alright?” Skye asked.

Fitz perked up. “Yes. Thank, thank you,” he murmured, frowning.

Skye sighed. None of the buttons he did so far were done right. He would have to re-do them again. Which would take him forever. She went to the bed and smiled at him. “You don’t have to do everything alone. Here. Let me …” She reached out carefully and started to button his shirt properly. To her surprise, he wasn’t complaining. Instead, he looked down to watch her fingers moving, his eyes wide.

When she was done, she looked up to meet his eyes and smiled again. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, a light blush spreading over his cheeks.

Skye swallowed. Somehow, she couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were such a stunning shade of blue. She wondered what they would look like in the sunlight …

The next moment, her lips met his.

The kiss was soft and barely palpable. But it was there.

More followed.

They didn't really talk about it. And maybe that was a mistake. But ... it felt natural and instinctive. 

And on the day Simmons discovered them in bed, Skye asked Fitz if he wanted to go further than kissing.

Fitz blushed a bright red and had difficulties to get his words out. But Skye finally understood that he was a virgin.

She told him it was nothing he had to be ashamed of. Not at all. And that it would make things more exciting. “It means I get to be the first one showing you all the great things we can do together,” she told him with a wink and he blushed even harder.

She kissed him.

And then the door opened. Simmons was back. 

* * *

What is Skye supposed to say?

It was just kissing? It would have been just sex? 

That isn’t the truth. The truth would be that Fitz and here were there for each other when they needed more than just a “it’s going to be alright”. When they needed closeness and warmth and the knowing that someone loved them. The truth would be, that Simmons – Jemma – has always been there somehow too, in Skye’s thoughts, in her heart, because, yes, the fucking truth is, that she loves them both and she doesn’t want to be between them. She wants to be with them.

But how is she supposed to say all these things?

Simmons is still watching her, worrying her lip with her teeth. “Maybe … Maybe I should leave again,” she finally says. It doesn’t sound like a question.

The words feel like a punch in the guts. “Simmons … I don’t want you to leave. Neither does Fitz,” Skye says quietly.

Simmons looks at her desperately. “I love him.”

“I know,” Skye sighs. “I love him too. And you.” Oh. Wow. There it is …

Jemma perks up, her eyes widening. “What?”

“I love you two. Did so for quite a while.”

“Skye … Are you - are you serious?”

“I am. I never knew how to tell you though. I thought you two … Well. I didn’t think I would be a part of it. Not really,” Skye says quietly, smiling weakly.

“God. Skye,” Simmons breath and a tear rolls over her face. “Skye … Oh. If you only knew, if you knew how often I thought I ... I have to choose ...” She sighs. "I missed you so much."

And suddenly, Simmons moves. She moves quickly, closing the gap between them, her hands reaching for Skye, cupping her face, pulling at her …

A kiss happens. A force drives them towards each other.

Tears and strawberries. Salty and sweet. _Damn_.

Time seems to freeze as it’s just them, standing there and kissing.

Then …

“Uh.”

They booth freeze at the noise. Skye turns around. There is Fitz, standing in the door leaning heavily on a cane, wide-eyed. He moves slightly and Skye thinks he’s about to flee.

“Fitz,” she says softly. “Don’t.”

“I … I don’t understand,” he breathes, looking from her to Jemma back to Skye.

Skye knows. But she can’t explain. Instead, she reaches for him. Pulls at his free hand until he stumbles into her bunk and now it’s awfully – or wonderfully – crowded and warm in the little room. She pulls him towards the bed and gently leads him to sit down. Fitz makes a confused noise and stares as Skye pushes Simmons to the bed too, forcing her to sit beside Fitz.

“Now: Talk,” Skye orders, standing in front of them, crossing her arms. “Because I’m not going to continue this before you do.”

Simmons looks at Fitz somewhat shyly, biting her lip. “Fitz … I’m sorry. I … I didn’t leave because I thought you are damaged or … or useless. I left because I thought it would make you better.”

“Better?” He sputters. “How … how would you leaving make me-me better?!”

Simmons sighs and plays with her hands. “Well. I thought I’m holding you back in your recovery and … and honestly I needed a bit of time to think. But … There wasn’t a day I didn’t think of you. Of you two to be honest. I’m … I don’t exactly know what’s happening here, but I … I want it to continue. Because … I’ve been so alone. For so long. And I missed you two so much. Missed what we were and … and what we could have been.” She inhales deeply, a careful smile spreading over her face. “So … If you still love me …”

“I do. I love you,” Fitz says quietly, his voice stifled.

Simmons nods. “I love you too. I … I always loved you.” She leans over to hug Fitz and he leans into her embrace, sighing and closing his eyes.

“Okay. Fine. Now it’s my turn,” Skye sighs after a moment and they look up at her . “Listen. I’ve never been good at this, at … people. I’ve never had luck with anyone. And over the years, I’ve grown careful. I … I just don’t want to leave someone again. But … I realized, I can let go with you two. I really love spending time with you and I miss old times, when there were just us, the couch and a big bowl of popcorn. I just want that back. And my friends. But … I also want to show you how I feel. I’m not good at saying all that in great words, but I can show you.”

They are still looking at her, eyes wide and warm. “Do it. Show us,” Jemma says quietly and Fitz nods, though he still looks a bit like he thinks he's dreaming. 

Skye sighs, feeling relieved and excited. She bends over, cups Jemma’s face in her hands and kisses her again, savouring the taste of strawberry.

After a while, she separates from Jemma, to do the same with Fitz. He tastes different but just as nice.

God. There are so many things she wants to do with them …

This is just a careful beginning.

There will be more talking later. More figuring it out. More healing. And sure, not all of it is going to be easy. It never is.

But Skye is sure, they are on a good way. Together, they can do it.

They can fly in the same direction. 


End file.
